Hauntings of the Past
by dreamweaver1234
Summary: There is something not quite right about the torture Peeta suffered in the Capitol, something that went beyond the hijacking, something more ominous than Haymitch, Gale and Katniss could ever imagine.
1. Chapter 1

They had rescued Johanna, Annie, and Peeta. It was deceptively easy, but they were grateful, nevertheless. But when Gale looked into Peeta's eyes as he released the shackles, he knew that something deep inside Peeta had broken. The eyes, before the Hunger Games, filled with hope, and sometimes amusement, now held an edge of insanity to them, even when closed. But there was something else. Something that Gale could not quite put a word on it, about Peeta's face. It was more than tortured, unlike Annie's or Johanna's. It was hellish in its agony. Gale eased Peeta's bruised and torn body off the torture seat, it's weightlessness shocking. He could feel drops of blood slide down his arm, blood that seemed thinner than normal. Still, Peeta's body was hauntingly lax. What has Snow done to you? Gale felt his heart tightening in despair. Even jealous as he was, he could not help but feel an overwhelming despair at Peeta's state. And somehow, he was afraid to verbalize his fears to Katniss, and even Coin.

There was something about Peeta's injuries that spoke of vehemence and malice, that the injuries were not simply a way to make the Mockingjay despair. No. The red welts were oddly placed, the bruises were clustered around areas that gave his mind unrest. Peeta was completely naked, and while nudity was not uncommon when it comes to governmental affairs, there was something obscene about this picture. But Gale did not dwell on this. He would get Peeta out first. And he would piece these mysteries out later, once safe back in District 13.

No one had expected the violent way that Peeta had awoken, definitely not Katniss. And after she was taken to the hospital wing, after Peeta was rendered unconscious once again, Haymitch approached Gale angrily.

"How did you find him?" Haymitch hissed. "Not one of those damn doctors are giving me any details. What kind of injuries did you see?" Haymitch actually looked fearsome if he tried.

Gale sighed. It was a new side of Haymitch he had never seen. The man actually cared about Peeta, this man who spent more of his life drunk than sober. It was so odd to see the worry lining Haymitch's forehead. Where to start?

Haymitch closed his eyes as if calming himself. This time, he spoke with more control. "Johanna and Annie had a ton of injuries, but they did not react like this. That boy is a totally different story. The torture seems more psychological. And I get that everyone is talking about hijacking, but that boy looked more than fearful from tracker jack venom."

Gale nodded and finished the thought. "He looks haunted."

Haymitch let out a deep breath. "How did you find him?"

"In a room with solid white walls and a single light, shackled to a seat, naked and bruised. There was something about the bruises, cluttered in some pretty terrible places in his body, on his neck, his hips, his thighs, his arms, like a strugglein the , but not upright position. Like he was struggling on the ground or on a table. The cuts were in areas designed to incapacitate him, not necessarily hurt him. They were aiming for the back of his knees, his shoulders, his elbows. His face has remained untouched, other than the blow we had seen on the screen earlier when Beetee broke through the Capitol's televised showings. There is something so deliberate about it all. Is this how Snow works?"

Haymitch nodded. "Deliberate, yes, but this is beyond deliberate, bordering on devilish. If Snow wanted to hurt Katniss, one would think that the physical injuries would be more noticeable."

Gale snorted. "Are his physical injuries not noticeable enough?"

Haymitch shook his head. "No." Succinct, but left to interpretation, Gale frowned in frustration.

"Well?" Gale threw his arms out. "Please try not to be so verbose."

Haymitch sighed. "From the way I see things, Snow was not merely punishing Katniss. I mean, Peeta is only an instrument to get to her, from our perspective. But do you not think that there is an anger that is directed towards Peeta himself?"

Gale raised his eyebrows. "You mean, the punishment is intended more for Peeta himself than aimed at Katniss?"

Haymitch's face darkened, his eyes fiery in their acknowledgement. "How much has Peeta revealed about his personal life, to you, to me, to Katniss, during the games?"

Gale shook his head. "He goes to the same school as Katniss and I since we were kids. We've seen him work at the bakery. His father and brothers have seemed aloof to him. His mother, I think despises him. At least, he's been seen at school a lot with injuries that are pretty visible. He always claimed they were accidents, but everyone at school agreed that they were not. It was no secret they came from his mother."

Haymitch shakes his head. "Why would a mother despise her own child so?"

Gale looks confused now. "You think he posed a threat to her? Or . . . you think he is not her son?"

Haymitch's reply was grim. "Or both."


	2. Chapter 2

Hauntings of the Past

Chapter 1

Somehow, Haymitch's words made sense, but still it was a concept difficult for Gale to wrap his head around. He did not have any love for Peeta, but he could not stop thinking about Peeta's life, which at one point he believed to be much more fortunate than his or Katniss's. But what Haymitch said painted a pretty grim picture indeed. If that witch was not Peeta's mother, then how were they related? They had to be, or else why would she take him under her wing?

Gale racked his mind for any hints of the past that would give him a clue, a hint as to the hostile interactions between the two. When he could not come up with anything from the witch's side, he thought to Peeta. Peeta never said anything bad about the woman. Not that he confided in someone as remote as Gale. But many of the girls who hung around him occasionally made comments about Peeta. "He's a funny guy. He's self-deprecating, but sweet. He's not so arrogant for someone who has lots of food. He's strong. He's quick with his hands and feet, and he's really well-trained." Gale did not think twice then about those words, rather he was occasionally annoyed by the gossip, but . . . Gale froze. The words "well-trained" began to echo in his mind. Yes, Peeta seemed well-trained, as if the stuff taught at school was mundane. The look Peeta had at school was almost expectant whenever something was taught. And though he tried to hide it, there was often a look of boredom on his face.

He began to think of the school wrestling meets that he sometimes walked through out of interest, remembering how it felt almost that Peeta was holding back when wrestling with his brother, but in skill, he looked much more polished. There was an ease of movement, a clarity in Peeta's actions that set him apart from others, as if the matches with his brother was merely a light practice.

Once school ended, Gale never remembered seeing Peeta in the summer, now that he thought about it. He saw everyone else, Madge, Delly, even though it was not very often, but he never remembered Peeta there in the summer. He always thought that it was hot so Peeta stayed indoors more, but again never thought anything else of it.

Gale had not realized it until he was there, but in his distracted state, he had somehow walked aimlessly to the secure facility that housed Peeta. Was his subconsciousness getting the best of him? Haymitch was ten feet in front of him, arguing with Plutarch it seemed. Gale looked to the left of the two. The glass windows and doors allowed all to see Peeta, frail and shackled to the bed. It was actually a humiliating sight, perhaps no less insulting than how the Capitol treated the Mockingjay's fellow victor.

Coin stated that the effort was to ensure clarity of the situation surrounding Peeta, but taking one look at Haymitch, whose eyes revealed nothing but irritability, Gale took it that Coin's words did not resonate with all of District 13. Haymitch motioned towards the unconscious Peeta, who lay there, eyes opened, but in no ways making any effort to run, fight or acknowledge the people walking by, staring at him like watching a caged animal. There were lines going into his body, infusions of sedatives and hypnotics, most likely. His body was bare except for a pair of hospital pants. At least the bruises and cuts have been treated, and now mostly gone. No evidence of any physical brutality was evident by gross examination. That somehow disturbed Gale. It was as if everyone was trying to erase the memory of this torture as quickly as they could, to not root out the true source of the wounds, but rather cover it up.

When Gale got close enough to the pair to hear what was going on, he could tell the direction was not pleasant.

"I need to talk to the boy, see how he's doing." Haymitch barely tried to hide his dismay.

"Sorry. Coin's orders. He's still not thinking straight."

Haymitch snarled. "How can he when everything used to alter his mind is being injected into him?"

Plutarch growled. "I'd be careful where you're going with this. The boy is not ready. Unless you want a replay with Everdeen."

"What's the harm anyways? I'm just paying him a visit, let your Mockingjay know that he is still alive," Haymitch snarled. "Besides, what's there to hide?"

Plutarch growled. "Very well. I warned you. That little kid unlikely will get well here!" As he said this, Plutarch pointed to his head.

Haymitch snorted. "Well that little kid saved your little ass, so save your opinions for someone who gives a damn!"

Plutarch glared at Haymitch, but then turned to Gale. "Let Everdeen know that Peeta is alive. He is knocked up in the noggin, but don't expect miracles where the Capitol is concerned. Those damn sadists probably played one too many tricks on his mind, and seriously fried it." Gale felt heat rise to his head. For someone in such a powerful position, Plutarch really was hard to like. Haymitch held his tongue since he was allowed entrance into the sterile room. Plutarch stormed off. Haymitch and Gale exchanged a knowing glance and proceeded towards the door to the sterile room. The guards backed off as they approached Peeta.

Haymitch reached out to touch those fingers, cold and unresponsive; because even as uncaring a demeanor as he usually bears, Haymitch could not help but connect with his former tribute. Gale could see now how affected Haymitch was. After all, Peeta was a light in this endless darkness, even for someone as hopeless as the old drunkard, he begrudgingly admitted. Haymitch looked into Peeta's face, and the expression choked him. Even Gale saw the agony that was written over that face. Peeta looked devastated.

There were still vestiges of the injuries Gale had alluded to, now that they looked more closely. The bruises were in the shapes of hands, grasping or even groping, most likely. _What have they done to you? _Gale reiterated in his mind. Perhaps it was not beneath Snow to use sexual battery in this instance, but he felt that the torture here had a deeper meaning.

"Please stop," Peeta's weak voice whispered wistfully, startling both Haymitch and him back a few steps. The voice was pleading, so far removed from Peeta's brave warnings on television a week ago. Haymitch choked down a sob. The words were spoken with a tone so foreign to them. They always saw a courageous Peeta, whether in the arena or during his interviews. Never have they seen this side of him, pleading, helpless, and extremely vulnerable. And then, from the string of utterly indistinguishable words he continued to mumble, they finally heard one that they recognized. "Father."

Gale tried to get closer, but Peeta's words were a jumbled mess and he could no longer discern them. And before he had the chance, the guards advanced, signaling the end to this meeting.

Haymitch paced slowly, but annoyingly. Gale stepped in front of him when he could no longer bear the man's unrest. "You've gotta say something. You're making me uncomfortable."

Haymitch snorted. "Look at yourself. Your lack of affect is making me irritable."

Gale threw his hands up. "What do you expect from me? I went in and rescued him. End of story. He's here now, safe with us."

Haymitch snorted again. "You can't even convince yourself of that statement, so don't even push it on me. So his father is not dead, and likely works for the Capitol."

"And you got that from what you just heard him say just now?" Gale spoke in an argumentative tone.

"Don't make it too complicated, boy. Is it not obvious? There was a man that he recognized as his father, and he was pleading with that man to stop. And whatever torture they bestowed on him, there was an element of sexual assault judging from those bruises." Haymitch closed his eyes, and to Gale, Haymitch's voice was full of what ifs.

Gale sighed. "It would seem odd that someone so pure of heart," and it pained Gale to acknowledge that since Peeta was his competitor when it came to Katniss's heart and the purer Peeta was, the less chance Gale had, "would have such a heartless father."

Haymitch shook his head. "Just a theory then. We really need more facts, and we need to get him to wake up. What are those idiots trying to accomplish by drugging him?"

"Let me talk to Coin about this," Gale started.

Haymitch laughed coldly. "Well, yes. Go to her and tell her your concerns."

This subtle accusation frayed whatever patience Gale had for Haymitch. "Don't think that we're best buddies now that we have a common goal. And you're unlikely going to get him out of that room without Coin's okay. She is the leader of District 13 after all, unless what you want is chaos here."

Haymitch seemed to soften a bit. "Yes. I am sorry. That was my fears and anger being directed at the wrong person."

An apology from Haymitch, who has always been a crabby drunkard, took Gale by surprise, to which he could do nothing but accept it. It was sincere, in the least. Gale nodded. Before he left to find Coin, Gale tossed Haymitch another bone. "I don't think your theory is too off base. I think that during the summers, he must have trained in the Capitol. He is surprisingly strong and physically skilled for someone from District 12. Maybe not as skilled as the Careers, but he was not an amateur, as you saw with the knives and his fight with Cato."

Haymitch raised his eyebrows in acceptance. "Thanks. You keep a sharp eye. I'm going to find Johanna and Annie. Maybe they know something."

Gale smiled sadly. "Sounds like a plan to me." He walked out of the room, but could not help feeling like they were opening up a Pandora's box. Was Peeta keeping his past hidden for a reason? But he shook that feeling aside. The truth could not possibly be worse than a lie.


End file.
